Also, keep in mind that some of the pluses at all-inclusive resorts - and maybe even basic services such as internet access - are charged as extras.
1. Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort - Governador Celso Ramos, SC
Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort
Brazil's southernmost all-inclusive resort, Ponta dos Ganchos also defines itself as exclusive: a luxury haven for guests 18 and over, who enjoy a paradisiac chunk of the Santa Catarina coast while staying in one of 20 comfortable bungalows. One of the most romantic getaways in Brazil, the resort has won several awards, including two consecutive Condé Nast Johansen (2007-2008).
What Makes it Special:
- Luxury bungalows with an ocean view and harmoniously integrated with nature
- Top-level cuisine by chef Luis Salvajoli - among the menu's highlights are dishes featuring local mussels, the best in Brazil.
- An island with a gazebo for private candlelit dinners (extra)
- Massage tents and Christian Dior spa treatments (also extra).
2. Blue Tree Park Eco Resort - Angra dos Reis, RJ
Located about 94 miles from Rio on the exuberant Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Blue Tree Park Eco Resort is surrounded by forest, bays and islands - Angra dos Reis is known for having an island for each day of the year. At the helm of Blue Tree Hotels is Chieko Aoki, one of the most successful businesswomen in Brazil.
What Makes it Special:
- Kid-friendly environment with monitors for children 4 years and older (or younger ones if accompanied by an adult
- Landscaping includes 77 royal palm trees
- Nautical sports
- Canopy walking
- Angra dos Reis is one of the top diving destinations in Brazil.
3. Club Med Rio das Pedras - Mangaratiba, RJ
Less than 80 miles away from Rio de Janeiro, Club Med in Mangaratiba has everything that has made the brand a favorite with families: a wonderful beach, upbeat monitors who keep kids busy while the parents relax, great activities for all ages, special programs for teens, a welcome care package for babies.
What Makes it Special:
- Archery classes
- Lush Brazilian coastal range vegetation
- Great optional excursions
4. Club Med Itaparica - Itaparica Island, BA
The first Club Med location in Brazil has stepped into the all-inclusive system with the confidence of a classic. Three restaurants, two swimming pools, and 330 apartments are some of the facilities tucked amidst one of the most beautiful coconut groves in Brazil.
What Makes it Special:
- Privileged location on Itaparica Island, less than 10 miles away from Salvador, Bahia
- Softly-lit gardens at night
- A golf course.
5. Club Med Trancoso - Trancoso, BA
Club Med offers 250 rooms - all in bungalows - at its Trancoso Village in Bahia.
What Makes it Special:
- Location atop a cliff with a spectacular ocean view
- Yoga and Tai Chi lessons
- Cooking lessons
- Golf (optional extra)
- Day trips to nearby attractions (paid extra) include nearby Praia do Espelho, or Mirror Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.
- Trancoso, a charming village with a population under 6,000, has an array of handicraft shops and great live music, especially in the summer, when Elba Ramalho, a famous Brazilian singer who lives in the area, organizes shows in the village center - the Quadrado, or Square, which is closed to cars.
6. Breezes - Costa do Sauípe, BA
The only super-inclusive in Bahia's six-resort complex on Costa do Sauípe, Breezes was the first Superclubs resort outside the Caribbean. Unlike most Superclubs resorts, Breezes does not offer airport transfers from Salvador (a one-hour drive away). However, it follows the Superclubs pattern regarding meals and drinks - all included, no matter how expensive - and tipping (not allowed).
The resort has 324 rooms.
What Makes it Special:
- Five miles of pristine Costa do Sauípe beaches, with soft sands and coconut trees
- Costa do Sauípe is a sustainable tourism enterprise with several community programs
- Trapeze and Circus Workshop
- Kids Club and Teens Club
- Complimentary Weddings & Vow Renewals (Brazilian fees apply)
7. Iberostar - Praia do Forte, BA
With 630 apartments and five swimming pools, Spanish Iberostar has a steady flow of travelers coming back to Bahia every year. Located 55 miles from Salvador, the resort is a favorite with Spanish families.
What Makes it Special:
- Sustainable tourism initiatives
- Drinks are really all-inclusive
- P. B. Dye-designed golf course
- Praia do Forte - Miles of coconut groves with their tops gently rustling in the breeze, warm waters, one of the Projeto Tamar sea turtle conservation units and a sweeping view of the surroundings from the ruins of the fort that give the beach its name make Praia do Forte a tropical dream.
8. Vila Galé Marés - Guarajuba, BA
Vila Galé Marés
Portuguese Vila Galé has three hotels in Brazil, but only Vila Galé Marés is all-inlcusive. Located just 26 miles from the Salvador airport, the resort in beautiful and calm Guarajuba offers 447 rooms spread out in bungalows that mix Brazilian and oriental styles.
What Makes it Special:
- An immense swimming pool
- Spa
- Kids Club
- Vila Galé Marés is a great option for travelers who want to enjoy an amazing Bahia beach and yet be relatively close to the busier Salvador beaches and big city buzz.
9. Enotel - Porto de Galinhas, PE
Enotel
Porto de Galinhas, in Pernambuco, northeast Brazil, is known for its excellent resorts and hotels. Enotel is the first resort in the area to operate in the all-inclusive system. Part of the Portuguese Estevão Neves Group, Enotel Porto de Galinhas features 348 airy apartments, two large swimming pools and activities for children.
What Makes it Special:
- Spa
- Baby Club and Kids Club
- Just 35 miles from Recife airport
- Natural pools that form in the low tide along the Porto de Galinhas coast - Coral is vulnerable to excessive stepping on and ecologically-minded travelers should ask which pools are easier to reach.
- Jangadas - Typical Brazilian sail rafts take visitors to mangue areas, a rich wetland ecosystem where you can view seahorses.
10. Miramar Maragogi Resort - Maragogi, AL
Tourists from Maceió, the capital of Alagoas, have a favorite day trip in Maragogi (pronounced ma-ra-go-GEE, with GEE like the second g in garage). Located at 87 miles from the capital, Maragogi is famous for its beaches and natural sea pools, known as Galés.
Guests at Miramar Maragogi Resort can choose from 12 suites, 96 rooms in 24 bungalows and 80 apartments for their stay right in front of the natural pools.
What Makes it Special:
- A tropical pool surrounded by coconut trees
- 24-hour heliport
- Diving classes at the natural pools (extra)
11. Starfish Santa Luzia - Aracaju, SE
Superclubs has helped Aracaju rise to a fair position as a delightful destination in Brazil. Years after opening its Breezes resort in Costa do Sauípe (see above), Superclubs chose the capital of Sergipe, the smallest state in Brazil, for its first Starfish brand location.
Access to the continent area closest to Santa Luzia Island, where Starfish Aracaju is located, became easier after the construction of a bridge over the Sergipe River in 2006. In a similar process to what happened in Natal, another northeastern state capital, the new bridge opened up new horizons for quality investments in local tourism.
What Makes it Special:
- Island location just 30 minutes away from the airport
- Great water sports
- Clean, white sands
- Activities for children
